Water From Another Time
by Serrinatta
Summary: Every great story needs an Epilogue! and SO... Rika will finally realize 'the old ways help the new ways come'. A new Digimon is on the scene with it's Tamer. But is she a Tamer or...a Destined?
1. The Start

Disclaimer: Digimon may be mine as a favorite TV show, but it ain't mine as to creation although the character Samantha Serin

Disclaimer: Digimon may be mine as a favorite TV show, but it ain't mine as to creation although the character Samantha Serinatta and her whole set of Digimon and it's evolutions are mine God am I proud of them! I worked soooo hard! Also, the song I have entered in here as a lesson is written by some one ELSE! Umm I think it's (checks pamphlet with CD) John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP)? Oh well, you get the idea.

Author's notes: I'm starting this when I have only seen the second episode of the new season. I am making MANY assumptions. Such as Takato and Henry become friends, and Rika prefers to stay as an acquaintance. So, try to take this leap into the unknown with me, eh?

"Whoa! Hey Takato! Did you see this new Digimon and it's trainer?" Henry called out.

"What do you mean Henry?" Takato was sitting inside one of the playground dinos again when a winded Henry popped his head in.

"There's some girl with this horse-like Digimon at her side! She fights like I've never seen! Like in the cards, she fights in the old ways!"

"Wow! Are you telling me the truth? Someone with a Digimon in the OLD style? Wow! This is sooo cool! What's she look like?" He asked.

"She okay so I didn't see her, I just heard her voice. But still, I SAW the Digimon!"

"Where was it!?"

"I saw 'em practicing in a back ally way deep into town. The reason I went back there was I saw a sign at the top of a tower demolished by something that came from the ground somewhere. I even heard an echo of what may have been the attack it was something like Spinning Horn attack or something."

Outside the dino Rika was listening. 'A Digimon that was like the old ways? What was going on?' she thought. She decided she would investigate the area later, school was going to start.

"Well class, we have a new student from Italy here, her name is Samantha Serinatta. Will you please come to the front of the class and tell us about yourself?" Takato's teacher said.

A girl with long brown hair sitting in the back of the classroom stepped forward. She was different in her style of clothing. She wore a blue tie-dye t-shirt, cargo khaki pants, and a strange pendant that seemed to change color was dangling on a long chain. It was a silvery white at the moment. "Hello, I am Sam Serrinatta, as our teacher here has said," she sounded a little shy. "I came from Italy as an exchange student um I like the animation from here anime um I like to play Digimon cards um"

There was a long pause, "You don't need to continue if you don't want to" the teacher told her.

"Uh yeah, thank you for inviting me into your class." She bowed slightly before she took her seat once again.

After class, Takato couldn't help but notice Sam pulling out a small fuzzy stuffed animal from her bag. She seemed to like it, putting it up to her face and all.

"What you got there?" he asked her.

"Um" the pendant that had settled down to a lime green during class was now at a brighter white than it was before. "It's my stuffed animal. Just because I talk to it doesn't mean I'm loony, okay!" the pendant was getting slightly orange.

"Look, I don't think your loony okay? I just wanted to know what kind of stuffed animal it was, that's all. Honest!" Takato didn't like to make people angry, especially for the wrong reasons.

"It's just a well" she paused as the orange faded away. "Um It's a Digimon stuffed animal. Nothing big about it."

"Which Digimon?" he asked.

"it's Inseymon, a favorite of mine." Her pendant was turning slightly pink as she looked at it.

"I've never heard of that one before of course most people have never heard of my favorite before either, Guilmon so I guess yours is kinda like mine."

"Heh well, I better get going, my 'temporary' parents think it's best for me to get home right away." She shoved her stuffed animal into the pouch full of cloth it had come out of. "Bye uh"

"Takato."

"Bye Takato, I'll see you tomorrow." She said and got up to leave.

"Tomorrow's Saturday!" he commented.

"Oh right! Then Monday then. Bye!" she ran out.

__

New mown hay on a july morn,

Grandkids running through the knee-high corn.

Sunburned nose and a scabbed-up knee

From the rope at the white oak tree.

"Hey, Henry! Did you see that strange Digimon again!?" Takato shouted down the sidewalk.

"No, I was going to wait till you could come with me. You got a spare moment?" he asked as he stopped to let his friend catch up.

"Alright! I most definetly got a spare moment! That moment is right now!" he was excited.

"Okay, I'l bring you to the place where I saw them, but I don't know if they're there"

"We can wait for em can't we?" he asked.

"I suppose so" Henry answered, "Let's get going." They headded off down the street. They went through alleys, gutters, and some places they probly best forget before they got close. "shhh thake it slow and quiet from here" Henry whispered. He received a nodd from Takato, assuring his silence. They slowly snuck up to an open area no bigger than eighteen meters (approx. fifty feet) across. "Whoa"

They walked out, "This place is decked out too bad no one's here Look at all these targets and do I see an obstical course?"

"I think so" Henry commented.

Takato picked up a bullseye and looked at it, "I suppose she trains here or sonething?"

"You had better put that back in the exact same place you found it! She might notice!"

"Yeah, don't worry"

A figure was sneeking along a wall out of the two boys' sight. A cordiroy sleeve can bee seen from the light as the shape of a face graced with glasses leans to listen to the converstaion; a frown oulined upon it and curly brown hair sitting on the shoulder. A hand pressed firmly to the cement. A device dangling from a bracelet around the wrist.

"Do you think she's as good as Rika thinks she is?" Takato asked.

"I don't know, I didn't stay long for fear of being caught It IS possible" Henry answered.

The figure quietly growled, and quickly turned to leave, a flash of a dark red pendant is seen before the figure dissappears completely.


	2. The Acquaintance

"Hey Sam

"Hey Sam!" Takato called, "I brought a drawing of my favorite Digimon, Guilmon! You want to see it?"

She looked up from her bag she had been digging in. "Um sure, Takato"

He ran up to her, "See, he looks like this!" He handed her his old original drawing.

She looked at it carefully, "It looks kinda like a red Greymon" she commented.

"Hey, I never noticed that! I suppose he kinda does doesn't he?" Takato scratched his head.

"Okay class, we have a short quiz on your Mathematics today to help you with your test coming up next week. I'll write the problems on the board and I want you to copy them down onto your paper Now remember: Show. Your. Work."

Takato sat at his desk a row over and a desk forward. As the quiz began, he knew he was going to have trouble with the test next week. He handed in his done -- and hopefully correct -- paper. He returned to his seat. "Hey, I didn't know you had glasses" he whispered to Sam as he saw her look at the board then pull them off and work on her quiz.

"Takato! No talking during the quiz!"

"Uh!" he turned forward, "Yes ma'am. Sorry, ma'am!"

After class Sam came up to Takato, "Hey, can I challenge you to a battle?"

"You got Digimon cards!?" Takato questioned excitedly.

"Well, yeah! I think I said that on my first DAY!" She told.

"Yeah sure! You know the park with the dinosaur slide?" he asked.

"Yeah"

"I'll meet you there! It's the best place to battle!" he cheered.

"Alright!" she followed him out.

Rika decided she could find this area that Henry had seen this other Digimon practicing. She knew many of the nooks and crannies in this neighborhood.

"Hey! How'd that work out!" Takato was surprised as he found out that he had lost.

"I played by the rules, so you can't say I cheated." Sam commented.

"But but" he hung to his astonishment.

"Come on, you want to battle again?" she asked.

"Most definitely!" They began to shuffle the cards.

"Hey, wouldn't it bee sooo neat if Digimon were real?" she asked. As they began their new game.

"Um Yeah it would be? Wouldn't it?" Takato scratched his head.

"Well to be honest I'd rather have a Digimon that follows the guidelines of the TV show more than the card game" Sam commented.

"Why is that?"

"Well, I think it's better if you fight evil instead of eachother If we destroy eachother, then who would be left to face evil?" she played a few cards.

"Yeah I suppose that's true"

"Oh, to have your own Digi-egg! And watching it hatch!"

"Yeah, I miss that"

"Huh?" she looked at him.

"Oh!" he caught his mistake, "I missed your move that's all. What did you play?"

Oh, this one." She pointed to a card.

"Ah! Okay, thanks!" he played his turn.

__

Just another summer's day on Grandpa's farm,

With Grandma's bucket hanging off my arm,

You know, the old pump's rusty but it works fine

Primed with water from another time.

"Hey, Henry," Takato asked, "you want to try waiting for that Digimon again today?"

"Yeah sure! I've been itching to get back there." He answered.

"Alright! Let's go!" They followed their trail back to the vacant area in town.

"HEY!" Takato remarked, "Where'd everything go?"

"Hey you guys! What're you doing here?"

The two friends turned around. "Hey, Sam!" Takato said. He was nervous, "what are you ding here?"

"I hang around here often. I find it a place where most of the city noise is muted." She told them.

"Oh" Takato turned slightly to his friend and whispered out of the side of his mouth, "A little help here?"

Henry stepped forward, "How long have you been poking around here?"

"Since I got here. I had a few hours to myself on my first day, and I didn't have a time lag problem -- was ready for it and all -- and so I poked around until I found this place. Why? What's wrong with this place?"

"Um Have you seen anything strange around here then?" Henry continued.

"Yeah, some strange stuff but hey It's a strange city." She went to her bag and pulled out a green corduroy jacket and slipped it on.

"With or without your glasses on?" Takato asked.

"Oh," she tapped them as they sat on her face, "With them on for sure, I need these for distances. If I go through a tall city like this I need them on to keep down the vertigo."

"What kind of strange things have you seen?" Henry asked after he had silenced Takato with a glance.

She folded an arm and leaned her chin on the other. "So you were here? You found my stuff?"

Takato couldn't hold it in any more, "You have a Digimon!? Just like us!?"

"Takato!" Henry barked.

"Oops!"

Sam laughed slightly and answered his question, "Cantermon! Come on out."

"Oh!" Henry breathed.

A clickety-clack came from around a corner as a purplish-white Unicorn came out. It's horn was pink to match the tip of it's lion style tail and puffy fur around the tops of the hooves. It wore a thick pink and purple band style collar with a pink heart pendant. 

"Wow! I can't believe it! Your one of us!"


	3. The Secret

"Yeah, well, I haven't see yoursÖ" she commented as she clipped her hair back into a curly shoulder length puff

"Yeah, well, I haven't see yours" she commented as she clipped her hair back into a curly shoulder length puff.

"Oh! You saw mine! It was Guilmon! The drawing I showed you!" Takato piped up. "He's hiding for now cuz I don't know how to sneak a giant lizard around town yet heh heh heh"

"And you?" she asked Henry.

"Mine's right here, he followed us." He answered.

Terriermon comes walking in where Takato and Henry had entered. "Hi!" he said excitedly.

"Hello" Cantermon looked at Terriermon with it's deep green eyes and responded in a calm feminine voice with a nod.

"Well, Takato Since we're all telling the truth here That little fuzz ball I brought to school was Cantermon in her Baby form, Inseymon."

"Oh wow! You lucky! You can bring yours with you!" Takato whined excitedly.

Sam laughed slightly, "Yeah, and I do at that! Cantemon and I are inseparable!" She paused slightly, "Listen I got to go If you guys found my hiding place then others may find it eventually too I was just leaving with my last load of stuff"

"Yeah, I suppose it's safer" Henry said, "We'll see you Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow it is." She paused and turned to her Digimon, as she did it transformed back into its in training form and bounded into her arms.

"Hey! What's that form called?" Takato asked before she could turn away.

"This is Fufamon, a larger, longer hared, bigger eyed version of Inseymon. It's still got the green eyes, though They're there in all the evolutions" Sam ruffled the purplish white hair. "Well," she cheered up, "Bye!" she waved and exited around the corner Cantermon had come out of.

"Bye" both Henry and Takato responded.

"So what are YOU doing here!" The two of them spun around once again.

"Hi Rika!" Takato said, "We were just hanging around here wait a minute what're YOU doing here!?"

"Me? I'm I'm Urg!" she grumbled, "I was following you! But then you two had to go through that uh ish!" she shuddered, "Otherwise I would have been here listening in on whoever you were just talking with!"

Henry stepped forward, "That was Sam from school. She's an exchange student and she got lost."

"Still doesn't explain why you were here"

"We went out exploring! Is there something wrong with exploring?" Takato piped in.

__

Tattered quilt on a goose down bed

"Every stitch tells a story", my Grandma sad.

Her mama's nightgown, her Grandpa's pants

And the dress she wore to her high school dance.

Sam walked on with her bag on her back, cuddling Fufamon close to her neck. "Just what I need" she mumbled, "No place to practice, and people that know"

"It's not that bad if people know, Sam." Fufamon told her.

"Yeah, but next they'll find out that I'm older too" She complained.

"How is that bad?"

"I don't know" she thought quietly for a moment, "Hey Fufamon? Do you remember the good old days when I found you?"

"Yeah, I remember"

"Good" she smiled as her necklace turned from light blue to pink, "I'm glad you remember."


	4. The Past

.. .. (Flashback) .. ..

.. .. It was when I was so very little. Only two or three .. ..

A young Sam is crawling across her bedroom floor. Al her toys were around her, and through the doorway fence in her daddy's new toy. His toy looked so much more interesting than her toys that she had played with. It was like an interactive TV. She wanted to know if some of her favorite shows were on it. One day, Daddy told Mommy that he was going to take her out for the night. Sam had been playing asleep for Daddy when her told her to take a nap. A few minutes had passed when Sam could no longer wait. She left her room and sat down in front of Daddy's new toy. The screen was glowing when she had pressed the button that Daddy had always pushed. She saw that when she moved the small hand piece around. All of a sudden the screen light strongly, much brighter. In her lap formed an oval device from the strongest beam of light.

"What's dis?" she asked herself and the computer. A new image was on the computer one with a littler screen on it. A small fuzzy creature was bouncing up and down on it.

"Sam! Sam! Sam! Come play with me Sam!" the creature shouted.

"How do I play with you?" Sam asked.

"I dunno," it said and stopped it's bouncing. "Try using your digivice."

"Dih-gee-vice?" She looked at her lap, "You mean dis ting?" she held up her new oval toy so that the creature could see it. When she did the whole room lit up with light. When it dimmed she was where the creature had been on the screen.

"Yeah!" it giggled, "I guess that's it!" it started hopping up and down again.

"Oh!" she looked about, "Where are we?"

"You're in the Digi-world! And I'm Inseymon! Your partner Digimon!" it bounced into her arms.

"Oh!"

"Do you want to play?" Inseymon asked.

"Sure!" the little Sam answered excitedly.

.. .. We became friends fast. And we stayed together and kept eachother out of danger. I was too scarred to understand my roll when we as the light came to conquer the darkness. I participated because I didn't know any better. But before that, we had our own troubles, and some friends to help us .. ..

"Come on Cantermon! Let's show 'em what we got! Remember! He's not a real Digimon!" An older Sam called. Just turned four now.

"Hey! Lemme give you a hand!"

"Yeah! DNA Digivolve!" Sam told her friend Cali. They had both found their Digimon at the same time, and their same ages had made them friends.

Cali's Digimon, Tailmon, looked a lot like Gatomon. The big difference was that Tailmon was pitch black with purple paws. Tailmon's eyes matched the same trend as Cantermon's: Always green.

The two Digimon became one in front of their eyes. It looked similar to an Egyptian god with a cat head, but a human upright form. It had black fur down to the legs and short, pinkish white fur on the arms legs and tail. There were still a pair of purple gloves, and a purple tuft at the end of the tail. The legs had a band of purple tuft starting at the front of the knee to the back of the ankle, just above a set of massive white hooves. Purple tuft also graced the shoulders and as a main. A purple horn above a green cat eye. Isismon.

"Go Isismon!" the two girls cried.

"Feline Dust!" Isismon's two-way voice shouted. A cloud of fur shed from it as it whipped by the opponent. Each little hair acted like Arookenimon's (sorry bad spell I know) Spirit needle, and sharply poked the opponent. It evaporated into little black particles before it disappeared for good.

"Alright!" The two girls shouted as their Digimon separated into their in training forms.

.. .. After defeating the darkness Neighmon, Cantemon's rookie form, requested something of me. I didn't realize at the time the implications of my decision .. ..

"Sam I don't want you to go away Once you leave here, you will not be able to return" Neighmon said as it pawed its pink hooves into the ground.

"I won't leave you Neighmon, I'll stay here if you want me to." Sam answered.

Neighmon shook her pink main and tail, and her white flank shimmered slightly with its pinkish glow, "No, I don't think you can stay Your mommy and daddy will miss you"

"But" the little Sam began to cry, "I don't want to leave you! I WON'T leave you! I won't!" she hugged Neighmon tightly. "I won't, I won't, I WON'T!!"

Neighmon began to cry as well, "But I"

As Sam hugged Neighmon tightly, the doorway between both worlds closed once again. "See Neighmon! Now I can't leave you! Even if it was still open I wouldn't!"

__

Now wrapped at night in those patchwork scenes

I waltz with Grandma in my dreams,

My arms, my heart, my life entwined

With water from another time.

.. .. As time went on, I didn't realize that the real world time had gone faster, I may have been in the Digiworld for only a couple of months but in the real world, it had been years There was this one day A day when the worlds came into contact once again where someone was keeping tabs on who got through where in the fluctuation of the separation .. ..

"Come on, Neighmon! Something has to be up. We have to get to the other world to see what's going on We can't reach this person from here! We need to go home."

"How will I get across?" Neighmon asked.

"Hm" Sam thought for a moment, "I know! Change into your baby form and I'll put you in my bag!"

"I guess I can do that Let's play some games, so my energy can get low enough" Neighmon answered.

A half hour went by and Neighmon had in fact been reduced to Inseymon once again.

"Wow! That was fun! Boy, am I tired" Insemon said.

"Yeah, here Ride in my bag. Let's go home." Sam comforted her small friend.

"Home YOUR home I miss that place."

"So do I"

.. .. I returned home, and found out that much more time had passes during my disappearance. My parents were just happy I was back. I had to stay now. My opening had disappeared but at least Inseymon was by my side. .. ..

.. .. (end flashback) .. ..


	5. The Present

"So

"So! Are YOU this new exchange student from Italy?" Rika asked.

Sam had just entered school when Rika had bounded in her way, "Um Yes?"

"So YOUR Sam! Takato said you got lost in town yesterday and Henry and him had to help you out." She prodded.

"Um Yes, that's true too" Sam scratched behind her head.

"So what were you talking about with them in that shabby part of town?"

"Well heh" She paused, "Like you said, I was lost, so they gave me directions heh heh"

"C'mon Sam! Class is going to start soon!" Takato said as he marched by.

"Gotta get to class uh,"

"Rika."

"Rika. Maybe I'll see you later?" Sam waved as she chased after Takato.

"Yeah, Later!" then she mumbled to herself, " 'cuz I know your secret Tamer"

__

Newborn cry in the morning air,

The past and the future are wedded there

In this wellsprings of my sons and daughters,

The bone and blood of living waters.

"Let's go Sam! Henry said he'd meet us at Guilmon's hideout pronto!" Takato was literally dancing on his toes.

"Let me finish putting my stuff away." Sam replied, a little impatiently.

"I really want to see Guilmon too, Sam!" Inseymon said from her spot in Sam's palm.

"Alright! Alright! I'm done, okay!?" Sam just about spat.

Takato led her into the lush green park. At the very back was a small brick building with a fence for a door. "Guilmon!" he called.

From inside, came a baby like voices " Takatomon?"

Sam laughed slightly as a peel of laughter came from the tiny Inseymon.

"It's TAKATO, you silly. I'm not a mon!" Takato unlocked the fence.

"TAKATO!!" Guilmon burst out and tackled his friend.

"Hey!" Takato giggled, "It's good to see you too, Guilmon! Can you get off me now, please?"

"Sure Takato." Guilmon promptly stood.

"Guilmon, I want you to meet a friend of mine." Takato stood.

"Oh?" Guilmon looked at Sam for the first time.

"This is Sam. She has a Digimon too."

"Hi!" Inseymon interrupted Sam and bounded out of her hand.

"Heh heh, yeah, I'm Sam and this is Inseymon." She patted Guilmon on the head. "Oh!" she jumped, "I just remembered! I brought some snacks for us. I know how Inseymon gets hungry after school." She dug in her bag and removed a grocery bag full of stuff.

"You bet I do!" Inseymon added.

Sam up-ended the bag and both Digimon began to feast.

"Hey! Leave some for me!" Terriermon ran up.

"Hey, Henry!" Takato turned to see his friend arrive.

"Hey, Takato. Hey, Sam." Henry walked up. Terriermon was already adding to the milieu of food and Digimon.

"Oh, and I brought us some munchies too." Sam brought out another bag of food. "These are some from where I'm from!" The majority of what was packed was pastries and a few cans of sodapop.

"Wow! These are good." Henry admitted after one bite.

There was a muffled "MmmHmm." agreement from Takato in the middle of a bite.


	6. The Future

Sam laughed, "You actually thought your Digimon was going to eat you

Sam laughed, "You actually thought your Digimon was going to eat you?" she giggled some more.

"Well if you didn't know Digimon were real and a big red dino of one stepped up in your face after blowing up a couple of rats YOU would be pretty freaked too!"

"Yeah, I suppose I would, wouldn't I?" she smiled big enough to shut her eyes.

"Besides, Guilmon and I became the best of friends right away." Takato added.

"It was a bit different when Terriermon and I met. I wasn't afraid at all just surprised I guess. I still can hardly comprehend all the hurt I had done when playing that 'game'." Henry added. They were all now inside Guilmon's hideout, finishing off the last of the snacks. "So, do you have a crest then, Sam?"

"Yes, I do, actually! My crest disappeared a long time ago, but I still remember it's shape and meaning" She leaned forward and drew her finger around in the dirt. She made a clock-wise curl wrapping twice around before becoming a tornado like zig-zag on top. "There, that is my crest of Imagination. I received it just one day after I first went there. I had it only for a short time before it was needed to forge an egg. My EGG of Imagination now lets Cantermon armor Digivolve into Aariamon. Aariamon is a SIX legged unicorn with white and silver armor. The white armor has intricate purple designs on them as well."

"Wow! You got a crest AND an egg?" Takato was exstatic, "How was the egg forged?"

"Hmm It's so hard to describe It's been a while too" Sam thought for a moment. "My crest had disappeared into a cave in front of me It just flew off into the darkness. I remember I didn't want it to go away, so I chased after it. When I got to the back of the cave there was a large flash of light. The light domed down to rays from an object stuck in a natural column. I went over to it and tried to feel for my crest when the egg popped out at my slight touch."

"Cool!" Takato commented. There was a bit of silence as the all took their last bite of pastry.

"I just wonder one thing though" he continued, "If you were in the Digital world that long how old would you be if you had stayed?"

Sam had stopped at that. She didn't like the feeling of people knowing she was older. She just wanted to stay as one of the same.

"Yeah, c'mon, how old would that make you?" Takato pushed.

She was looking down at the half empty sodapop in her hand. "Physically I'm almost fourteen Legally I'm twenty-eight." She cringed slightly at the last number, and still did not look up.

"Wow!" Takato exclaimed.

"Mmm I bet that gets confusing" Henry commented.

"Yeah, confusing"

__

And though Grandpa's hands have gone to dust,

Like Grandma's pump; reduced to rust,

Their stories quench my soul and mind

Like water from another time.

"Well that went well." Fufamon commented as Sam carried her to the entrance of the park. "No one made fun of you about your age. Isn't that what you were worried about? That they would laugh at you if they found out you were twenty-eight?"

"Yeah, I guess it did go rather --" Sam was cut off.

"YOU!? TWENTY-EIGHT!? How can YOU possibly be twenty-eight if YOUR in MY grade?"

Sam whirled to her left, "Rika?"

"Yeah it's me. And I know who YOU are!" Rika carefully watched Sam's shocked face, "You're a Digimon Tamer!"

"I I what?" Sam was worried at what the conversation was getting to.

"You heard me. I said you were a d-i-g-i-m-o-n T-a-m-e-r! And I'm here ready to battle you!" she soured.

"Tamer? No I am NOT a Tamer" Sam hoped that she would be able to get out of this situation lightly.

But then there was Fufamon, "You a Destined, right, Sam?" Fufamon asked her.

"YOU? Digi-Destined? How can you be Digi-Destined? That theme is from twenty years ago. And now that I know you have a Digimon, you have to battle me! And I will defeat you. I will defeat you and absorb your Digimon's data!"

"That's not very nice!" Fufamon commented.

(In the strange spherical room with the two seats placed in the direct center. A female voice behind a visor and long hair spoke _"The anomaly 2342 has been spotted. Not in originated area of Italy, but in Japan. Initiating secondary confirmation scan."_

A male voice spoke then, _"It shall be much easier to return 2342 back to normal if it is in fact in Japan."_ The owner of the voice flipped his lighter open and closed.)


	7. The Refrain

"Go

"Go! Renamon!" A Digimon of yellow fur with a fox-like physique hopped out of the woods and landed in a slide between the two girls. "Now, lets see what your little Digimon can do"

Sam shook her head calmly, "I don't want to fight you." Her pendant had been white when Rika had first approached, but now it settled to a deep orange.

"Think of it this way," Rika said in a flip like manner, "YOU'RE not fighting ME It's just our Digimon."

"Our battle will not be what you think it'll be" Sam commented letting Fufamon hop down to her side.

"Oh really? I think it will be." 

"That's because it is what you think that I know is wrong" Sam pulled out her oval Digivice. The orange pendant changed to a strange purplish orange.

Rika got confused with the word games. "Just fight already!"

Sam shook her head again, "Alright Perhaps this fight may enlighten you at least."

__

It don't take much, but you gotta have some;

The old ways help the new ways come.

Just leave a little extra for the next in line;

They're gonna need a little water from another time.

(_"Anomaly 2342 confirmed to be located in Japan. Attempting to pinpoint location for immediate reintegration."_ The voice from the long hair and heavy visor reported once again.

__

"Inform me when you have the pinpoint." The male voice spoke; still flicking the lighter open and closed.)

"Alright, Fufamon, time for some Digi-evelution!" Sam called out.

Fufamon Digivolve to: Neighmon!

Fufamon quickly Digivolved into it's next stage, Neighmon, a short pinkish horse.

Neighmon Digivolve to: Cantermon!

Then, immediately afterward, Digivolved again into Cantermon, the pinkish and purplish unicorn.

"Starting high already? I can tell that that's your Champion form. Why one-up me if you're so good?" Rika tried to pry.

"Simple, my youthful friend You have Tamer cards I do not." Sam stated as if it were simple to see.

"Fine then. Renamon: Power Modify!" Rika immediately commanded.

"Interesting choice. Usually the strategic move would have been to protect your Digimon first. Fight, later." Sam commented.

Rika sneered, "Go Renamon!"

"Yes, Rika." Renamon charged towards Cantermon.

Cantermon saw it coming and dodged to the left. "Great Gust!" A huge wind rose up and lifted Cantermon off the ground. The wind both knocked Renamon over but also let Cantermon dive it's horn towards Renamon.

Renamon flashed just out of the way, using its flexible body. "Diamond Shower!" Renamon spread its arms wide and a shower of shining shards shot towards Cantermon.

The attack hit home against Cantermon's flank. Barely deterred, Cantermon fought back. "Spiral Horn!" Cantermon's horn became a drill and shattered to pieces, another already in its place. The horn shards spun in the air and shot at Renamon.

Renamon was hit full force. "Renamon: Speed Modify!" Rika ordered and Renamon became faster.

"You know," Sam pondered, "this reminds me of a song. If I remember correctly, the chorus was" she pondered as the two Digimon fought. Renamon running circles around Cantermon, but not laying a single attack either. "It don't take much, but you gotta have some" Sam began as her pendant turned to a deep bluish purple. Her Digivice began to glow in her slightly tightened hand.

Cantermon Digivolve to: Soromon!

Soromon was a bat-winged unicorn with an armor vest and helmet. Its fur a stronger pink and purple but with blue added to the mix. A small pink jewel hung from the helmet's corner under the ear. It quickly changed to a matching bluish purple to Sam's pendant.

"The old ways help the new ways come" Sam continued. She interrupted her melody, "Let's go Soromon!"

Rika slid another card through her D-power. "Armor of Stone Modify!" Immediately, Renamon received a layer of armor that was rather light for stone.

"Oh, so you finally figured you'd need some protection now?"

Rika's face became rather stern.

Renamon tried to swiftly kick Soromon in the face but missed as Soromon leaned back. "Tornado!" Soromon cried. It flew into the air and circled quickly, beating it's muscular wings. A Tornado was born and passed over Renamon. Renamon was lifted high into the air and tossed back to the Earth. Renamon was able to catch itself on its feet, and landed lightly.

"Hoof beat!" Soromon tried to pound Renamon from above with all four of its hooves. Renamon dodged.

"Now try this!" Rika passed another card through the D-power. She only mumbled the card's name, too quiet for Sam to hear.

"Diamond Shower!" Renamon's attack had been like hail before. Now was like a blizzard and swirled around Soromon, crashing into her.

Soromon landed on the ground harshly.

"Just leave a little extra for the next in line" Sam continued. Sam removed her necklace and tossed it at Soromon. Soromon caught it immediately upon it's horn and Soromon began to glow.

Soromon Digivolve to: Rainbowmon!

This massive feather-winged unicorn had three sets of its multicolored wings. Its horn was now longer than before and the vest-like armor extended to ring around the base of the tail. The helmet extended its corner and the pendant upon it fused with the pendant from Sam, becoming a strong green matching Rainbowmon's eyes. Rainbowmon also wore armor bangles above each purple hove, as green and yellow was added to its array of colors.

"Whoa! That can't be! There's no way you can Digivolve to Mega that easily!" Rika just about shrieked.

"You think that was easy?" Sam commented leaning forward slightly from her crossed arm position. " You're gonna need a little water from another time!" Sam finished her chorus.

Rainbowmon flew into the air, "Rainbow Reflection!" It flew into the rays of the sun and all of its colors shone into a painful brightness that made Renamon flinch.

(_"We have pinpointed anomaly 2342. Shall I initiate the reintegration?"_ The female voice asked.

__

"Wait on it I shall tell you when." The male voice was playing with its power.

__

"If you wish." The female voice responded.)

"Hurricane!" Rainbowmon immediately began its second attack while Renamon was temporarily blinded. Rainbowmon begins to strongly beat each set of wings in separate. The wind picks up even stronger than before. Sam ran over to Rika and held her against the ground, keeping herself there as well.

"What are you doing!?" Rika shrieked over the sound of the wind.

"You DON'T want to be standing for this!" Sam told her.

Both girls had to shut their eyes but Rika was able to swipe one more card into her D-power. "Renamon!" she shouted but could no be heard.

After what seemed like complete destruction, everything calmed. Rainbowmon nudged Sam. When Sam opened her eyes, Rainbowmon reduced itself down to Inseymon and the pendant was returned to around Sam's neck. "I think I'm done now aren't I?" Inseymon asked.

"That's what you think! Rika spat, "I was able to slip in one more, much stronger, protective card through. Renamon:" Rika called. When she had no answer she turned. Renamon was indeed protected, but had passed out under the initial wave of the attack that had slipped through before Rika got the card through the D-power.

"You see?" Sam commented, "You jump too quickly, and are too ready to fight. You must practice both your skills and patience." Sam tried to teach.

Rika clenched her fists at her sides.

__

("Alright, now you may initiate reintegration." The male voice was still flipping it's lighter open and closed.

__

"Initiating reintegration process." The female voice responded.)

"And what if I do what If I do practice like you said?" Rika turned to see Inseymon hop into Sam's arms.

"Then you will become more powerful than I am." Sam smiled.

Just then, Rika began to notice. Sam was starting to fizzle like a bad TV. "Sam?"

Sam noticed too. She looked all over herself and Inseymon as the grey fizzle began to envelop her. "I --" Sam attempted to utter, but was too late for she disappeared.

(_"Reintegration complete. Anomaly 2342 returned to origin: Digital World."_ The female voice reported from atop one of the chairs in the center of the spherical room.

__

"Mission Complete." The male voice clacked its lighter shout in a slow manner.)


	8. The Epilogue

"Where Where'd they go

"Where Where'd they go?" Rika asked in astonishment to the empty space before her.

Renamon began to wake up, "What happened? Did we win?" Renamon whispered.

"No. We did not." Rika stated a little fiercely.

"I I am sorry, Rika" Renamon looked around, "Where did they go?"

Rika turned around to look at her Digimon, "That's what I want to know." Renamon got up and stood by her Tamer, looking around.

"We're back" she said sullenly.

"We are But but how, Sam?" Inseymon was cradled in her arms still.

"That presence That watching presence caught us. That is why." Sam was slightly angry, and her pendant shown in a reddish hue.

"So We can't go back to your home?" Inseymon caught on.

"That is correct" Sam was getting even angrier.

Inseymon also caught wind of Sam's anger; "We'll get back there and show 'em! I know we will!"

"Huh?" Sam was startled out of her angry state at Inseymon's words. The words sunk in, and determination took over, "Yeah, we'll get back there and we'll find 'em and then they'll tell us what they thought they were doing! You're right, Inseymon We'll get back there!"

"Rika! What happened to Sam!?" Henry, Takato, Terriermon and Guilmon all ran up.

"I I don't know" she trailed, then looked at them and her mood changed, "As far as I'm concerned, that was a victory to me so I don't care what happened." She turned to Renamon, "Renamon: Lets go."

"Hey you just can't up and leave! We know Sam was right here with you! We over heard you! Something happened! You HAVE to tell us!" Takato became angry.

Rika turned, "Look, They just disappeared, OKAY!? I don't know where they went! And don't think of blaming me for their disappearance either!" Rika was angry, and promptly left.

"Do you think she went to the Digital World?" Takato pondered aloud, looking up into the sky.

"I don't know, Takato" Henry answered.

"Aw!" he pouted, "Why couldn't she take us with her? I've always wanted to see the Digital World!"

"I don't know how to say this, but" Henry looked over at Takato and waited for his friend to give him his full attention, "But I think she'll be okay there I really do believe that you may be right that she's in the Digital World But she's been there before right? And for a long time at that I I really think she's just fine."

"Yeah" Takato pondered, "She would be just fine wouldn't she?"

Rika went home and sat at her table, sorting her Digimon cards.

"Rika, what happened?" Renamon softly prodded.

"Just like I said, Renamon She disappeared after telling me" She went quiet.

"What did she tell you?" Renamon could tell it was important.

"She told me that if I did practice like she had done that we we would become even more powerful than her and her Digimon were" Renamon stayed silent. After a long moment, Rika turned to her Digimon, "Let's go Renamon, We've got some practicing to do!"


End file.
